kissed with golden accents. A king-sized bed with plush linen and carefully scattered rose petals. Champagne chilled in a

out of a fairytale, too b

lence was loud and deafening. Damien said nothing as he crossed the room and shrugged out of his jacket, tossing

t even l

to expect. No-scrat

omething-anything-human might surface in him tonight. We are married now. Husband and wife

the armchair across from him like I was some

stled as I sat down, the beads on the sleeves catching the soft light. I felt ri

one leg over the other. He was so calm. So cold

ched. "This marriage is not what girls like you dream about. It's not

me. The w

x, represent the family name with dignity. Smile when exp

ank with e

l share appearances when required, but beyond that-" his eyes met mine briefly, "-I have no in

ng my voice. My throat was d

s thing in the world. "And I'll expect your loyalty in public. Behind closed

whispered. The words

ned. "You'll give m

ment felt

agne, but he didn't offer me one. I sat still, like a stat

suffoc

. This was

rstand?" he

orcing myself to nod.

lt too tight for my body. My heart was to

re neither of us wanted

, shutting the door behind

b tore out before I could stop it-raw and aching. It echoed in the quiet of the r

his, I don't w

her told me I was nothing but a pawn in this game of power and pride. When I was locked away like a crimina

s happening and th

, streaking down my face like ghosts. I looked around the sui

pened. I wiped my face quickly,

sweatpants. The polished groom was replaced with th

" he said, already grabbi

n't a

the far wall. Then he settled into the couch and pulled the blanket

g like I was floatin

ring at myself in the mirror. My face looked pale, my

owly, the silence pressing down like a seco

dn't want to remember this night. But I would always remember

ing Selena Valenci and became t

acroix in name but a

lent goodbye to